http://www.yakima-herald.com/?storyid=2 ... 435Doesn't sound very good. Are they still running out there?

Sounds like they're calling it a waste of money to "preserve" tracks that were taken up ages ago. There's no mention on if those tracks were restored, if the trolleys would actually run on them or not.I too would like to know what's going on in Yakima. When I was still in the Army, we'd have to endure lengthy trips to Yakima's firing center, and I'd often take a Humvee or TMP van and drive into town, and I went by the trolley barn many times. I never knew if they actually ran or not there. I certainly never saw anything running.I have heard rumors over the years about a guy from that museum trying to sell donated equipment and other mismanagement, but never heard what's going on. Nor have I ever met anyone who's actually gone out there to ride or chase.Yes, I would like to know as well: are they running or not?If they are, I would go out there for a day, as it's not that terribly far for me.

According to the Yakima Valley Trolleys page, they are not running this year due to track maintenance and electrical equipment failures. I'm not so sure the editorial was anti-trolley as it did not advocate removal or shutting down of the operation. The editor simply didn't feel that the YVT was a worthy expenditure of public funds.The editor is correct, the trolleys and trolley barn are not convenient to the city center or much of anything else (well except maybe the Track 29 Mall). Their line end in Selah is also not convenient to anything either.Other than that, it is a really nice operation with some great equipment.

And therein lies the problem…. To quote the editorial, "Yet city officials, in what is being billed as a historic preservation effort, want to buy the trolley barn at Sixth Avenue and Pine Street and repair the five miles of track between Selah and Yakima."The editorial objects to the use of downtown development money to repair things that are not downtown, and I'd have to say, if I lived in Yakima, I'd have to agree. This is another example of the artifact we want to see saved not being in a very suitable location. If someone were to propose a plan that put the trolleys back downtown, perhaps the outcome would be different. Then again, the expenditures would surely be different, also.